British drinkers toast stout revival

It was famously enjoyed by Ena Sharples in the snug of the Rovers Return – the Coronation Street battle-axe often shared a glass of milk stout with her friend Minnie Caldwell.

Now bottled British stout is making a comeback as a popular tipple with a new generation of drinkers, thanks to new products from burgeoning craft and regional brewers.

Irish stout – notably Guinness – has dominated the market for well over a century, but in recent years the whole stout market has been in decline.

Now supermarkets are reporting strong sales of specialist bottled stout with eye-catching and quirky names being created by craft and micro-breweries. In March the Office for National Statistics gave stout new credibility by adding it to the "basket" of goods and services it monitors regularly to gauge living costs.

Stout is made using roasted malt or barley, hops, water and yeast. It originated in the early 18th century as porter – a blend of brown ale, mild ale and "well matured ale". It got its name because it was popular with London street market workers: the strongest variety was known as stout porter, which was eventually shortened to just stout.

 Pint of view? Camra does not include Guinness as one of the real stouts, which are becoming more popular with a new generation of drinkers. Photograph: Alamy